The Sherburne County Generating Station (Sherco), located about 45 minutes northwest of the Twin Cities in Becker, Minnesota, is the largest of Xcel Energy’s generating facilities. It burns 30,000 tons of coal every day (three trainloads) and more than nine million tons a year. In addition to releasing pollutants that cause health problems like childhood asthma attacks and toxic mercury that pollutes lakes and rivers, units 1 and 2 at the plant are also Minnesota’s biggest carbon polluters, pumping more than eight million tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year.

Tell the Public Utilities Commission to require Xcel Energy to phase out these coal plants and replace them with clean energy alternatives!

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has required Xcel to examine the costs of continuing to burn coal at Sherco 1 and 2, and compare them to the costs of replacing the units with cleaner energy. Xcel’s own study shows that in every scenario that calculates a reasonable cost of carbon pollution from the plant, it makes more economic sense to retire the plant and move from coal to new clean energy.

Xcel concludes, however, that it can pollute our air and water for free. It proposes to keep burning coal at Sherco for decades to come.

The Public Utilities Commission is now accepting public comments and will decide whether Sherco continues to put our health and future at risk by burning coal. Your opinion matters. You have an historic opportunity to impact their decision today.

Please take a minute to email the PUC and help Xcel energy kick a 30,000 ton a day habit. Together, we can protect the Minnesota you love.

This petition was delivered to:

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

Letter to

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

I am writing to ask the Public Utilities Commission to require Xcel Energy to phase out its Sherco 1 & 2 power plants and replace them with clean energy using wind, solar, and energy efficiency. There is a cost to Minnesotans in burning 30,000 tons of coal a day. A cost we pay in our health and the health of our natural resources that future generations of Minnesotans will rely on.

According to the American Lung Association, "Each year 24,000 premature deaths, 550,000 asthma attacks, 38,000 heart attacks, and 12,000 hospital admissions attributed to Coal Plant pollution". Less burning of coal means less mercury, toxic chemicals, and waste products that pollute our lakes and cause health concerns that have the most impact on children and expectant mothers.

Sherco 1 & 2 are also Minnesota's biggest carbon polluters, pumping more than eight million tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year.

Instead of investing millions to continue burning coal and polluting our air and water, Minnesota should move to the clean energy future that all of our children deserve.